Ranking the top 5 centers in Miami Heat history

Two Hall of Fame centers have worn a Miami Heat uniform – and at the same time – along with another center that was just rewarded with a $96 million contract. That qualifies as a rich history of big men. The list starts with Alonzo Mourning and Shaquille O’Neal, but who is No. 1 and who else is among the franchises top 5 centers? We tell you here:

5. Brian Grant

Grant was acquired from Portland in the summer of 2000 to upgrade the front court and played in all but 16 games for Miami over the next four years, most of those at center. He averaged 11.0 points and 8.5 rebounds, his best season being his first when he averaged 15.2 points and 8.8 rebounds, taking over at center after Alonzo Mourning was diagnosed with a kidney disorder. Grant was traded in 2004 to the Lakers in the deal that netted Shaquille O’Neal.

Hassan Whiteside

4. Hassan Whiteside

Granted, Whiteside’s stats are a small sample size but the Heat thought enough of what they had seen so far to reward him with a four-year, $98 million contract. Whiteside has played 121 games in Miami and has yet to start a full season’s worth of games (75 total). But he has been a solid defender, being named to the NBA’s All-Defensive second team last season while leading the league with 3.7 blocks per game and placing third with 11.8 rebounds. His 11.1 rebounding average is tops in franchise history.

3. Rony Seikaly

The first draft pick in franchise history (No. 4 overall in 1988), Seikaly was the team’s primary center for its first six seasons. Seikaly is third in franchise history with 4,544 rebounds and finished in the top 8 in the league three times while with the Heat. Seikaly’s averages while with Miami: 15.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks. Seikaly is second in franchise history in rebounds per game. He was traded to Warriors in 1994 for Billy Owens and Sasha Danilovic.

2. Shaquille O’Neal

Shaq’s 3 ½ years in Miami were eventful and impactful. He was acquired from the Lakers in another Pat Riley blockbuster deal for Caron Butler, Brian Grant and Lamar Odom in 2004. While with the Heat he averaged 19.6 points, 9.1 rebounds and was part of the franchise’s initial championship in 2005-06. In his first three seasons he averaged 23.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and was All-NBA first team twice. Shaq was traded to Phoenix for Shawn Marion in midway through the 2008 season; a deal that started the dominoes to shed money in anticipation of the 2010 offseason. Shaq was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.

1. Alonzo Mourning

Zo has been with the Heat since 1995 as a player and executive (with the exception of one season in New Jersey), coming over from Charlotte in Riley’s first big trade, two months after Riley arrived from New York. He was a five-time All-Star while with Miami, a two-time defensive player of the year and on the All-NBA first or second team twice. He averaged 16.0 points and 8.1 rebound in Miami, numbers that are skewed by his role as a bench player his final four years after having a kidney transplant in 2004. During his first five years with the Heat, Zo averaged 21.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.1 blocks. Known as much for his community involvement as his play on the court, Zo is the first Heat player to have his jersey number retired and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.